Convertible folding cot



Dec. 21, 1943. I 5. J. BLAHA 2,337,367

CONVERTIBLE FOLDING GOT Filed Feb. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Shet 1 P 3 I-fzzaazz/or I tif /p726];

Dec. 21, 1943.

S. J. BLAHA' CONVERTIBLE FOLDINGCOT Filed Feb. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Dec. 21, 1943 {mirrostares a air Fi s- 3 1 CONVERTIBLE FOLDINGco'r Stephen J. Blaha, De Kalb,,lll., assignor to Superior Felt &Bedding 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware I ApplicationFebruary 6, 1941, Serial N6. 377,586

2 Claims.

The invention relates to bed or cot structures of the type capable'ofconversion into a chaise longue or couch form or, alternatively, into anupright folded position characteristic of so-called roll-away beds.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a new and improvedstructure of this type that is characterized by the ease and convenienceof its operation together with the sturdy simplicity of itsconstruction.

Another object is to provide a novel structure of this type convertiblefrom either bed or folded positions to a chaise longue of varyingdegrees of back acclivity and embodying new and improved means formaintaining and releasing the back adjustment. a

More specifically stated it is an object of the invention to provide, ina structure of this nature, a latchmechanism for holding the back inintermediate. positions of adjustment between horizontal and verticalpositions, which is normally engageable automatically as the backisraised, but is adapted to be disabled manually and again reconditionedautomatically for further engagement as an incident to movement of theback past its last intermediate position to the horizontal. I

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a convertible structureembodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a portion of the back membershowing in dotted and full outlines, respectively, the trip mechanismreleasing means in latched and unlatched positions.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views looking toward aside of the structure and illustrating the relationship of the parts invari ous positions of the back member.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

The exemplary form of structure which has been selected for illustrativepurposes embodies a central or intermediate supporting base l0. having asubstantially horizontalzmattress supporting portion spaced from thefloor. End members ii and I2, similarly formed with mattress support-1ing surfaces, are disposed at opposite sides of the intermediate basemember and are interconnect! ed therewith for swinging movement fromsubstantially a'horizontal bed or cot forming rela-' tionship, as shownin Fig. 5; to upright folded positions for roll-away purposes, asindicated in Fig, 6.' The base member I 0, in the present instance,includes a supporting means such as a box frame having front and backU-ishaped sections '13 and hltied together at their sides by crossbraces l5 and'lfi. Suitable'anti-friction means, such as casters I'Lmay'be secured to the bottom of the base "frame. a v

In general thefront and back swinging mem: bers are alikeincon'struction" and accordingly the back member l2 only, has'beenillustrated in detail. 'It comprises a "rectangular'angle iron frame ispivotally joined, as at 19, to'the base member to permit swingingmovement from a horizontal 'bed' forming position (Fig. 5)' -to'*avertical position (Fig. 6). An inner spring systern 20 of substantiallyconventional construe tion, as seen fragmentarilyinlliig'. 1,= issupported by and is substantially continuous throughout the threesections of theffoldi'ngstructure. Spaced outwardly from the pivotalcorin'ectionof the back frame IS with the base Ill is a U-shaped floorengaging leg-member 2| pivotally joined, as at 22, with the back frame.A pair of links 23 are pivoted on the base and on the leg-member forretraction of the latter, as an incident to swinging movement from itshorizontal to its vertical position. A guard rail 24 may be secured tothe upper end of the frame l8 to retain a mattress or the like (notshown) in place.

The back member may be swung to intermediate chaise longue formingpositions as seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 and there releasably held by alatch or trip mechanism normally engageable automatically, as the backis raised. In the present instance a pair of ratchet bars 25 arepivotally supported on brackets 26 on the back frame and areinterconnected for conjoint action by a connecter 27. The ratchet barscarry toothed portions 28 at their ends which project from the back forcooperation with stationary pawl members, herein comprising the loweredges of bar receiving slots 29 formed in the base frame. To yieldablyurge the toothed portions of the ratchet bars into engagement with theslot edges, a pair of tension springs 30 may be secured to the backframe and to the connecter 21. The teeth are formed so as to ride overthe slot edges during upward movement of the back but to prevent reversemovement unless the teeth are raised, and thereby freed from the slotedges. In the present instance this movement of the toothed ratchet barsis effected by forming the connecter 21 in a U-shape to extend foractuation transversely of and in spaced relation to the head of the backframe. A manually operated lever 35 pivotally mounted as at 36,substantially centrally of the connecter, is provided with a handleportion 31 adapted to be grasped by the operator to swing the leverabout its pivot point. The lever has a leg portion 38 engageable withthe under side of the back frame l8 to cam the connecter away from thehead of the back frame against the tension of the springs 30 (Figs. 2and 4). Such movement of the connecter away from the frame frees theteeth from the slot edges.

The ratchet bars are provided immediately inwardly of their toothedportions 28 with cam surfaces 39 which operatively engage the slot edges(see Figs. 4 and 5), as the back is moved downwardly, past the lastintermediate position in which it is held, to its horizontal position.Such engagement tends to raise the bars and cam the connecter furtheraway from the back frame I8 against the force of the springs 30 and torelease the holding engagement of the leg 38 with the frame. The outerend of the handle leg 31 may be weighted, as at 40, so that, uponrelease of the engagement between the leg 38 and the frame [8, the lever35 will seek a gravity position disengaged from the back frame. In thisposition of the lever, the ratchet teeth will be free for holdingengagement in the slots under the influence of the spring means when theback is again lifted to an intermediate position.

In operation, assuming the back to be horizontal with the detent lever35 disengaged (shown in Fig. 5 and in full outline in Fig. 2), as theback member is lifted to an intermediate position (Fig.3), the teeth ofthe latch mechanism will ride over the lower edges of the slots andpermit the back to be held at any desired angle. If it is desired tolower the back the operator simply grasps the detent lever 35 andfrictionally engages the leg portion 38 with the frame to hold the latchmechanism in inoperative or disabled position. The back is then free toswing either up or down and, as it approaches the horizontal, theconnecter member is cammed away from the frame, thus freeing the detentso that it may seek by gravity a disengaged position in which the latchmechanism is reconditioned for operative engagement when the back isagain moved upwardly.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a cot or the like, the combination of a base, a back supported onsaid base for upward swinging movement from horizontal to substantiallyvertical positions, a toothed ratchet bar pivotally supported on saidback, a stationary pawl member on said base engageable by the teeth ofsaid ratchet bar for holding said back in intermediate positions againstdownward swinging movement, a detent pivotally carried by said ratchetbar and adapted for frictional engagement with said back to move saidratchet bar about its pivot point to hold said teeth in inoperativeposition, and means on said ratchet bar engageable with said pawl memberwhen said back is swung past its last intermediate position to thehorizontal for overcoming the frictional engagement of said-detent withsaid back to recondition said teeth for engagement with said pawl memberupon upward swinging movement of said back.

2. A cot or the like having, in combination, a base section, a sidesection mounted for swinging movement substantially between horizontaland vertical positions relative to said base section, cooperatinglatching means on said sections movable to various engaged positions insuch swinging movement to hold said sections in a selected one ofseveral relative positions, said latching means being shiftable betweenoperative and inoperative positions, means manipulable by the operatorto shift said latching means to and retain it in said inoperativeposition, and means engageable by said latching means as said sidesection swings to its horizontal position for releasing the shifting andretaining means to free said latching means for return to said operativeposition.

STEPHEN J. BLAI-IA.

